Party on Garth

The Holiday Inn San Antonio North in San Antonio, Texas has only been open for five months. It still has that new hotel smell. It still has that new hotel attitude. I liked it.

The hotel is very proud of the fact that they have been chosen Trip Advisor's "Number One" hotel in San Antonio, as they should be. I will agree that the property is very nice. The staff were well trained and extremely cordial. Everything was clean and comfortable, and I had an excellent club sandwich at the hotel restaurant/bar. I loved the bartender. Not only was he efficient and pleasant, he was also working on his final design project for semester finals in-between customers. I thought that was cute. I tipped him a couple of extra bucks and considered it an investment in his education.

After dinner I went back to my room to relax and was serenaded by the (very loud) music wafting into my room from the building next door. It went on most of the evening. That was something I'd never encountered before. I wonder if I would have heard it if my room was on the other side of the hotel?

But now I will announce that I found the single most wonderful invention ever in this hotel... the "constant fan" button. The room air conditioner/heater unit had a button that said constant fan. Now why did it take so long for hotels to figure that out? The fact that I could choose a loud fan in this room completely blocked out the party next door and I slept like a baby.

Good job, Holiday Inn San Antonio North. I'll be back!

No sniffles here

I don't have a lot to report about the Hampton Inn in San Angelo, Texas. It was pretty average as Hamptons go. The room did seem small by hotel standards, but I think it was just my perception. I'm a little spoiled by the upgrades I get with Holiday Inns.

When the facial tissues ran out though, it occurred to me that I have a perfect record. I don't think I've ever stayed in a hotel that the facial tissues in the bathroom didn't run out. No, really. You know how the hotel tissues are designed so that when you get to a certain amount from the bottom the tissues are beige instead of white? Well every single time I am in a hotel the obligatory beige one pops up. Once you see that one, it's over. You better not get a cold.

I'm still trying to get used to the Hilton chain. It's not their fault that I have the magic tissue gene. But Hamptons have those do-it-yourself waffles makers in their breakfast area. That makes it all okay.

Doin' it right

I was very impressed with the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport in Herndon, Virginia. After my last trip to Virginia I was a little concerned because my hotel at that time was, well - it was simply awful.

I think I have finally found my home-away-from-home when I travel to this area. (I guess that opening my mind to an alternate hotel chain was a smart thing to do after all!)

Anyway, this hotel had everything I look for in a hotel - well, except maybe a complimentary mini-bar. But, hey - you can't always get what you want.

My room was spacious and very nice. But, before you arrive you should know something.

The rooms are about six and a half miles from the lobby.

It's true - the hotel is a really big circle. My room was on the far side of the circle, which meant there was nothing quick about getting to my room from the elevator. The good thing about it though is that you can't get lost. So, if you drink too much you'll just keep going around in circles until you finally find your room. Convenient.

The ceiling fell in before I got there. Really.

The roof fell in the day before I checked in to the Hilton Birmingham Perimeter Park in Birmingham Alabama. At least that's what the bartender said while I was having dinner. She said that the pipes broke in the ceiling, and the ceiling tiles came down. It flooded the lobby and the ground floor of the hotel.

It was nice that they cleaned most of it up before I got there.

I wondered if the broken pipes were somehow the reason for the less than stellar appetizers in the Club Lounge. If it was, I might forgive them. (Before I proceed I must offer a disclaimer here. The two nights before this stay I was in one of my all-time favorite hotels - the Hotel InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta. Maybe I was a little prejudiced? Maybe not.)

The Hilton spread featured packaged tortilla chips with bottled Picante Sauce, BBQ chicken wings, several blocks of cheese, Ritz crackers, and a variety of pre-cut and packaged vegetables. It kind of reminded me of the things you put out for the last minute Super Bowl Party you didn't know your husband was having at your house.

There was a weird metallic smell in my room, and I guessed that it was because of the work on the lower level pipes. But, just to be on the safe side I went down the hall to see where the fire escape stairs were on my floor. The way I saw it - it would be best to know such things... just in case.

I'm having to think really hard about switching hotel chains. I really like the Hilton's "double dipping" policy that allows me to get both miles and points for hotel stays, but I have yet to feel like the chain is worth my loyalty. I've been in several properties that were just average, and several that were not even qualified as average. However, in all fairness some of the IHG properties were a little sad too, so I'm going to give the Hiltons a fair shake. I want to see how they treat loyal travelers. It won't take long to earn top level status (Diamond, I believe) so I'll be able to really compare the Hilton to the IHG chain. This is actually fun. Maybe I should do this with all the chains? Next I can conquer Marriott. Then Hyatt.

Now there's an addition to my "bucket list."

Highlighting a great stay

Saturday when I went to get my hair done I told the stylist that I was ready for something a little different. She had a bad back and was taking muscle relaxers. This was probably not a good blend for a new hairstyle. The result was a color combination that wasn't awful, but was definitely not quite as subtle as usual.

After I checked into the InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta Georgia, the Bell Captain complimented me on my "highlights." I thought that was interesting. Maybe they are trained to be that observant. Or maybe he was related to my stylist and she called him to tell him that I was a little freaked out about the new hair color...maybe the bell captain..... uh, maybe I should just move along with my blog.

The InterContinental should be used as the standard for hotels. It is consistently wonderful.

And the Bell Captains know just what to say.

How dry I am.

I would have never stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Pearl Mississippi had I known it was in a dry county. I didn't even know those still existed!

But, I found out they do exist when I went to eat dinner at the restaurant next door to the hotel. I chose this hotel because it showed up on the hotel list as an "airport" hotel. I often stay at airport hotels because they are - well, close to the airport.

I also often enjoy an adult beverage at the end of a long day. But the fine folks of Rankin County said too bad. They do not serve alcohol in their little county - even to weary business travelers.

So, while the hotel was relatively new and quite pleasant, next time I'll choose to stay one county over. I prefer to stay somewhere where they recognize me as an adult.

Only one thing I can wine about

The Hampton Inn Jackson-North in Jackson, Mississippi was very nice as far as hotels go. The desk clerk was very pleasant, the room was comfortable, and I had a wonderful view overlooking the Chili's Restaurant.

The hotel even had a manager's reception featuring Crawfish Etouffee and several types of beer. I don't drink beer.

I know I'm not the only non-beer drinker to stay in the hotel. I think they should have offered other options, too. At the very least, they could have served wine. It doesn't cost that much, and it would've made me happy.

It was nice to have the reception though. I always like hotels that go that extra mile to make customers feel important. But - I never saw the manager during the manager's reception, and there were only two other people at the reception besides me. Maybe the rest of the hotel guests went next door to Chili's for a glass of wine.

A shocking experience.

The Crowne Plaza New Orleans Airport in New Orleans Louisiana recently remodeled the hotel.

How can a hotel not have any counters in the bathroom? Really. NO counter space.

What were they thinking? In order to set down the hairdryer I had to put it in the sink. What's wrong with that picture??

Maybe they weren't looking for repeat guests.

No touchdown here!

To be perfectly honest, I never even thought of checking the football schedule before I planned my last trip to New Orleans. Did you know that everything shuts down in New Orleans when the Saints open their season? I didn't. I figured it out when I checked into the lovely Intercontinental Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana.

When I went to my room there was a piece of paper next to my welcome letter that said I wouldn't be able to get in or out of the hotel the next day because of the game. Geez. "You can check out but you can never leave..." I remember that song.

I decided that I didn't want to get stuck there so I checked out early and went to a hotel nearer the airport.

Lesson learned.

Some like it hot

I recently switched hotel chains so I could take advantage of the Hilton's "double-dipping" policy. The good part of this is that I get hotel points and miles. The bad part of this is that I am basically starting over in a hotel recognition program. I guess I should say I am spoiled. I am used to being treated "special" when I check in and during my stay.

When I checked into the Hilton Garden Inn Nashville Airport hotel in Nashville, Tennessee I was assigned a room that overlooked the trash bins.

Not exactly the treatment I am used to, but I knew that when I switched loyalties. Plus, at the rate I travel it's only a matter of time before my status with Hilton is such that I'll receive the same kind of perks. I can wait.

I did enjoy my dinner though. And there was a cute young thing singing her little country-soul out to all three of us in the restaurant. Bless her heart. She was pretty good, too.

I went back to my room. The bathroom door wouldn't stay open, and I had to use the ironing board to keep it open. Then imagine my excitement when at 5:00 AM I was awakened by the trash truck outside. OK. So I wasn't given a room on the top floor. I could probably accept these things - until I woke up to take a shower the next morning and there was no hot water. NO hot water! This was not a welcome discovery.

When I went to check out before catching my plane the desk clerk asked how I enjoyed my stay. I said the hotel itself was fine, but I was not at all happy about the cold shower. She said the system had gone out for the entire hotel but as compensation she would remove my previous night's dinner charge from the bill.

Since dinner was the best part I think they should have charged me for the dinner and removed the rest of the stay. I stay in a lot of hotels, and all I want to accomplish when visiting their property overnight is two things. While I'm there I want to get a good night's sleep, and I want a nice hot shower. This hotel fell short on both of those counts.

I probably won't be back to this hotel. But, I like the fact that they allowed the young country singer a venue. We all want to reach for the stars and accomplish our dreams. As for my dream? I want to sleep past 5: 00 AM and start the day off with a hot shower.

May we both succeed.

Dust in the Wind

I have a love-hate relationship with the Intercontinental Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Well, maybe hate is a little strong. I have a love-dislike a little relationship. Yes, that phrase represents it well I think. Most of my stays have been absolutely wonderful. But the hotel has no wireless, and that alone impacts my feelings of love. It's just one of those things I have learned to put up with. I guess I view my relationships with my favorite hotels a lot like marriage. If it is worth the commitment, you just have to learn to live with strange little habits.

Anyway, since my last visit to the property several months ago they have gutted the lobby and started extensive renovations. One of the managers met me when I arrived, showed me the blueprints and fabric swatches, and assured me that the hotel was going to be quite the showplace when everything is finished.

Staying in the hotel during renovations was interesting to say the least. There was no check-in desk, no restaurant, no lobby bar, and no concierge lounge. I usually take advantage of evening appetizers and continental breakfast in the lounge, so I had to figure out where to have dinner. There was a makeshift restaurant in the lobby, but I really wasn't interested.

It would have been nice to know all this before I checked in. If I had known about this in advance, I could have stopped after my meeting for take out. The first night I ended up changing clothes and going to Jack in the Box for fine dining. The second night I splurged with Taco Bell. Ah, the joys of life on the road.

I spent two nights at the hotel on this trip. As usual, my room was very nice, but it was hot. Nothing cooled it down. Maybe during the remodel the process was to re-route all the cool air from the guest rooms to cool down the construction workers in the lobby.

When I checked out I asked if part of the renovation plan was to install wireless internet in the guest rooms. No one could give me the answer to my question. I would like to think they read my 482 comments to that effect. Time will tell.

I have another trip to the DFW planned in a month or two. I'm anxious to see if the renovations will be finished. Maybe I should call first. It would be nice to know in advance if I need to take a fan - and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

A Grand Welcome

When I arrived at the Hampton Inn Detroit Metro Airport in Detroit, Michigan, there was a huge party in the lobby.

I jokingly asked the desk clerk if the party was in my honor because I had recently started staying at Hilton properties from Holiday Inn. The clerk laughed and we talked about my reasons for switching. After our conversation she upgraded me to a lovely suite!

It turns out the party wasn't for me though.

The hotel was celebrating it's grand opening. It was nice to be there and I enjoyed the reception. The appetizers were excellent and I met the hotel manager. They definitely pulled out all the stops to impress the media and other local celebrities. I had to wonder if they do that at every Hampton opening.

There's only one reason I won't stay a whole lot at Hampton Inns. When I travel I like to stay in full-service hotels so I don't have to get out and drive after dark in strange cities if I can help it. Hampton Inn's don't have restaurants. They have very nice breakfast buffets, but I don't usually do breakfast so that isn't a draw for me.

There were no restaurants near this new hotel, so oddly enough I ended up at the Crowne Plaza next door for dinner - the very hotel I would have been in had I stayed with Holiday Inn on this trip. It kind of reminded me of a line from one of my favorite Eagles songs... You can check out but you can never leave.

It'll be our little secret.

Shhh. Don't tell anyone, but I stayed at a Hilton property. It was the Hampton Inn in Madison Heights, Michigan.

So what was it like? It felt a bit like I imagine it must feel when someone is cheating on a spouse. I felt like I was going to get caught.

But I was determined that I would go into this experience with an open mind. I would not compare. No I wouldn't. But I did.

It ended up not as the greatest hotel experience I've ever had, but it certainly wasn't the worst. (That distinction belongs to the Holiday Inn in Columbus, Georgia.) This hotel held its own in the challenging department. The light bulb was burnt out over the desk, the phone didn't work, and the air conditioner had a horrible rattle - thank goodness for earplugs!

The staff in the hotel were wonderful, friendly, and certainly knew about customer service. That counts a lot in my hotel rating system.

By far the best part of the stay was the breakfast. For comparison purposes (I know I said I wouldn't compare but I lied) the Hampton Inn is the equivalent of a Holiday Inn Express. I have stayed in a lot of Holiday Inn Express properties. So many, in fact, that when I smell the "famous cinnamon rolls" I want to run in the other direction. There was not a cinnamon roll in site at the Hampton. It was so nice to have new options! Waffles, fresh fruit, breakfast potatoes. I liked it.

Does all this mean I'm going to switch? I don't know, but I will certainly not rule out an occasional stay. I've been with Holiday Inn a long time, and familiarity is comfort. But I think I can handle a thrill every now and then.

Shhh. It'll be our little secret.

Reflections on a Margarita #8

The larger the city, the larger the ego.

I have wondered for some time about TSA agents at the airports across the United States.

In my unofficial random sampling of TSA agents around the United States I have noticed a running theme: The larger the city, the larger the ego.

Anyway, one day after being felt-up once again by one of these agents after I refused to go through the Nude-O-Scope (full body scanner – but that’s another blog unto itself) I decided to find out the qualifications required to apply for a job with the Transportation Security Administration. Here are the requirements as listed on the TSA official website.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Have reached his/her 18th birthday at the time of application submission;

Be proficient in English (e.g., reading, writing, speaking, and listening);

Have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent

These are the people going through my personal items, ordering me around, touching my body, and telling me to step into a virtual strip search machine. The TSA agents are not required to submit to the same process, even if they are traveling for personal reasons and out of uniform.

The least educated of our society are given the most powerful positions when it comes to air travel. The average business traveler is college-educated, professional – and forced into submission. Is it any wonder that the agents are arrogant?

Reflections on a Margarita # 7

I tried to access the TripAdvisor.com website while I was staying at the Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta. I wasn't checking out the Intercontinental, because it is an awesome hotel. I was actually looking into an upcoming stay at different property. Anyway, I got the following message:

Forbidden

You don't have permission to access / on this server.

How can you not laugh at this? Wouldn't you think a great hotel would want to give guests the opportunity to put a review (or read one) on a travel website?

A peach of a stay!

Wow. What more can I say? The Intercontinental Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia is very impressive.

My room had huge picture windows and a beautiful view of Stone Mountain, but in all honesty I have to say though that my room was actually smaller than other hotels I've been in. All in all though, it was a lovely room with wireless internet, a large HD flat screen TV, and a large bathroom with a soaking tub. I can live with that.

The Club Intercontinental was one of the best concierge lounges I've ever experienced. Nice food and attentive servers made for a very pleasant experience. The stay was wonderful from start to finish.

You know, I've stayed in this hotel several times before, and I really don't remember it being much above average. I wonder what the difference was this time. Maybe I was a bit prejudiced this time since I was upgraded to the top floor of the hotel. Maybe my business trip was successful and influenced my decision. Maybe I was just in a mood to be pampered. Hmm. I don't think so. It really was an exceptional experience.

They should all be like this.

Reflections on a Margarita # 6

Recently I flew to Virginia on my favorite airline - Southwest Airlines. For those of you that don't fly Southwest you need to know that there are no seat assignments. If you forget to check in - or don't know to check in - you will always end up in the middle seat.

This particular flight I ended up with a young woman in the middle seat next to me that obviously had never flown on a plane. She got on the plane with this huge polka dot blanket that she wrapped herself in from head to toe. It was so big that it spilled over onto my seat. It wasn't cold on the plane and I didn't need her blanket but she shared anyway.

Then she told me that she flew all the time, but when the plane took off she panicked. She grabbed the seat in front of her and moaned until we were in the air. Poor thing. She did the same thing when we landed.

No, I don't think she had ever flown before in spite of what she said. If she had, she never would have carried on a polka-dot blanket. She would have made it a nice respectable plaid.

A very tarnished Crowne

I've waited a while to write the blog on this hotel because I kept hoping I'd find the humor in my stay. I can almost always find something that makes be laugh even if it is after the fact.

But...

The Crowne Plaza Washington-Dulles Airport didn't make me laugh. In fact, if it hadn't been for the very nice bar and grill, Houlihan's, I would have little positive to report. OK, well I guess I have little positive say about the hotel at all. But, I liked Houlihan's. That's something positive.

Now about the hotel.

First off, the hotel is pricey. Now just to be fair, I'm told that everything near Washington DC is expensive. I'm one of those people that doesn't mind paying for quality, but I am also on record that it really ticks me off when I pay a lot for nothing.

The Crowne Plaza Washington-Dulles Airport was an older hotel, and in fact reminded me of the Holiday Inn Select Hotels from days gone by. I had assumed it would be up to Crowne Plaza standards, especially since it was $199 a night - and that was a discounted rate.

When I pay $199 a night for a hotel room, I expect it to be, well... $199 worth of hotel room. This room was worth about $21.50.

So, what happened? First of all I was really grateful for my GPS. Without it, I never would have found the hotel. It wasn't really at the airport, but I guess it was close enough to claim it.

I finally found the hotel and went to the desk to check in. I am usually given a room on the club floor no matter what room I book - a nice perk for Platinum Priority Club members. When I asked the nice kid at the desk, I was told I got an upgrade, but I didn't. I got exactly the room I booked. Since I wasn't given a club floor room I asked for club access anyway. Finally I convinced him to give me a key, but I could tell he was reluctant.

By the time I checked in I was starving, so I went up to the club lounge to see if they had anything to snack on before dinner. They had potato chips and sodas. Really. Why bother to call it a concierge?

But the real story here was the fact that I was given a room in a parking lot.

My room was next to a large parking lot on the back side of the hotel. I discovered this the first evening when I heard the really loud noise and looked outside to realize that just outside my room were 5 tour buses. My room windows were level with the top of a bus. The next morning around 5:30 AM, approximately 500 children loaded up for a day of sight-seeing in DC. The bus drivers get up earlier than that - sometime around 4:30 or so. They fired up the bus early, probably to cool it down. It didn't cool me down. In fact, I got a little fired up.

Usually, Platinum Priority Club members are given better rooms (and treatment!) than this. So, when I checked out the next morning I told the clerk I wasn't happy with my accommodations. I asked why I wasn't given a room on a higher floor, away from the noise. The clerk said those rooms were reserved for Priority Club members. I explained that I am a Priority Club member, a Platinum member in fact. Then the clerk asked me if I told him that when I checked in. I said I never tell anyone at the desk because the room is always reserved under my number, and the reservation screen displays my Priority Club status. But by then I was in no mood to argue and just checked out.

So now that I am writing this, I find myself thinking that the question was a little strange. Did I tell them I was a frequent traveler? Huh. I wonder where all that information entered in the reservation ended up?

Probably in the parking lot on the bus driver's clipboard.

Reflections on a Margarita #5: EZ does it.

I got stopped by one of Ft. Bend's finest on the way home from work. Speeding? Nope. Tail light out? Nope. Expired tags? Nope. I'm a suspected EZ Tag violator - a hardcore crime in these parts. I think the penalty is a lot harsher for not paying toll road fees than it is for killing an endangered species or burning down a building.

Not that I'd do any of those things, but then I didn't skip out on paying my toll either. It turns out we were supposed to update our account with the new license plate number. Sheez. You'd think that somewhere they would have posted this information? Or maybe we might have gotten an email reminder or something that our license plates were not current on the account?

But noooo. They would much rather stop me with flashing lights and sirens. I think it was a great use of the policeman's time. I am much more dangerous than the guys that were going 95 miles an hour in a 65 zone while talking on a cell phone.

So I went home and updated my license plate information.

Don't you feel a whole lot safer now?

Might have cried over spoiled milk, but we didn't.

This was a business trip ended by a reward stay, and my second stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Midland, Texas. Not much changed from the first stay, it was mostly very nice. But I did learn that next time I should request a room on the quiet side of the hotel, on the opposite side from the highway. Somehow I just never imagined that a hotel in Midland Texas would have more road noise than say, Chicago or Detroit - but this one did.

It also had spoiled milk. The first morning I told the hostess that the milk was bad, and somehow assumed the expiration dates would be checked and the offending milk tossed. Wrong. The next morning I opened a carton of milk and surprise!

I am glad they had orange juice.

Hummus? Humbug.

The Intercontinental Chicago O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois is beautiful. I was upgraded to a lovely two room suite, and the suite was architecturally like the rooms you see in those home decorating magazines. It was spectacular, but not for everyday living. So, what exactly does that mean?

Well, for starters there was no counter space in the bathroom. I decided that a man must have designed it. Yes, I know it's a sexist comment, but realistically - and in my opinion - the average man doesn't really need or use much counter space. And this bathroom had no counter space. I need counter space.

This bathroom had a free standing sink. I had to put my curling iron on the edge of the bathtub. That's just wrong. In fact, doesn't the little do-not-remove-warning-of-electrocution tag say not to put your curling iron on the edge of the bathtub??

And then there was no full length mirror in the room. I think this may be the first hotel I've ever stayed in that didn't have one. Further proof that the architect was a man.

Parking in the hotel was $22.00 a day, but from what I hear that was a bargain for Chicago. And, on the plus side - they had wireless internet access throughout the hotel. Yay!!

Finding my room required a map. The hotel had maze-like hallways. I think that guests shouldn't drink too much or they'll never find their way back to the room. Not that that is ever an issue for me... but I set a way-point on my GPS just in case.

A real down side to the hotel was that the club lounge was not open even though the hotel has been open for about a year and a half. The website said it had a concierge, and actually bragged about it. In fact, it was one of the reasons I booked it. This became a bit of an issue since I selected the hotel based on the fact that the lounge access would cut down on my meal cost.

When I asked the desk clerk why there was no concierge he said it had something to do with the steakhouse next door and a legal issue with the hotel restaurant. Uhm... Say what? The concierge isn't normally located in the hotel restaurant. This was just plain weird to me. I asked what they were going to do to make me happy. The young man at the desk gave me a couple of coupons for a free appetizer and a free drink. Later in the evening I went to the hotel bar for dinner and handed the coupon to the bartender. She told me the coupons were good for a small salad, a bowl of soup, or hummus. Hummus. Really?

The bartender said that was ridiculous and comped me a Caesar salad. I gave her a big tip.

A Rose in the Desert

We've never gone anywhere on our actual anniversary because it is right in the middle of Texas' school spring break. So, this year when I mentioned this to my parents they asked if we'd ever thought about going to Vegas for our anniversary. After all, Spring Break wouldn't really make a difference there. Right? Right!

So my parents gave us a week at the Desert Rose Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. I think it is also a Hawthorne Suites, as well as a time share condo with the Shell Vacation Club.

I liked it. The location was great. It was right behind the Hooters Hotel and within walking distance from the MGM Grand and all the other hotels on that end of the strip. (Just for the record, I won a nice amount on the slots at the MGM!)

We had a comfortable two-room suite with free wireless internet, a simple continental breakfast, and evening wine and beer receptions. If you've ever been to Vegas you already know that the only thing free is alcohol while you are gambling. It was nice to have these complimentary amenities during our stay!

After long days of losing money, walking down the strip, seeing shows, and losing more money, it was nice to have a comfortable place to call home.

Run for the roses

My husband doesn't bring me roses. But it's okay - no, really. He fixes dinner and does laundry. I'm not sure I'd trade that for roses.

I know a little bit about roses though. Tyler roses come from Tyler, Texas and they are famous. Tyler is about 30 miles from Henderson, Texas. I'm not sure if there is any claim to fame in Henderson, but I imagine they have some visitors stop by on their run for the roses. Visitors would be well served if they stopped for the night at the Holiday Inn Express in Henderson,Texas.

I found the hotel almost outside of town. My GPS didn't know the hotel was there, so I guessed that it was a relatively new property. I guessed right. The hotel still had that new hotel smell, and the room had a 42" flat screen HDTV. That's better than most pricey hotels. They also had warm cookies ready in the lobby. Nice.

Warm cookies, roses, and a big screen TV. Hmmm. This could be the beginning of a real relationship...

Only normal people at the bar, please.

The Intercontinental Hotel in Dallas, Texas is becoming one of my favorite hotels. It's consistent, and I like that. I especially appreciate that the reception desk employees act like they really care that I am staying at their property. Yes, I know that this is all taught in customer service training, but it is still nice at the end of a long day.

But, I think I may be the only Platinum Ambassador at the hotel that has ever asked for a downgrade to a different room. They upgraded me to a lovely bi-level suite, and it was beautiful. But there was no way to access the internet in the bedroom. Really now, how can I tell these fascinating tales when I can't sit in bed and write while I'm watching TV? I'd rather be in a regular room so I can relax. It's the little things that make life on the road more pleasant.

Caution... repeat rant follows....

Am I the only person that travels that uses my computer for stuff other than work? Does every other traveler use their laptop only for work?

OK. I'm through ranting. I think that was actually a mini-rant. I guess I'm starting to mellow in my old age.

Speaking of mellowing, remember in an earlier blog about this hotel I mentioned a guy that was talking to himself in the bar? Well, the bartender told me tonight that the poor guy was recently banned from the bar. He said that he started getting a little too weird. I wonder how "too weird" is defined at the InterContinental? I've seen some very interesting and really weird people at hotel bars. I think it's a shame. That guy was certainly more interesting than sports or CNN on the bar TV. I'll miss him.

Speaking of planes...

The next day was on my top five worst airport experiences I've ever had.

First, I made the mistake of filling up the rental car at the only gas station I could see. It was across from the hotel - Suncoast Energys on Butler National Drive. It has an attached Wendy's Hamburgers. The station does not post prices and has a $2.00 mark-up on the gas. ($4.97 a gallon!) I asked if it was correct and they told me that they could charge it because they were the only option. I was furious, but had no choice since I had to get to the airport.

When I researched this gas station later, I found out that people have filed complaints for years with the Orlando BBB regarding this station. They said the practice is not illegal and is a case of "buyer beware."

So, BUYER BEWARE. This is the gas station across from Crowne Plaza Orlando Resort. Do not go to the Suncoast Energys gas station on Butler National Drive near the airport in Orlando Florida.

I have since learned that about a half mile up the street (where you can't see it by the way) there is a regular gas station. Go there instead.

Then there was the Orlando International Airport. Maybe I was just already irritated because of the gas station experience, but the line to check a bag was 2 hours long. Two hours! I've never had to wait two hours to check a bag other than the airport in Barcelona, Spain and then it was because I was in line with a gazillion other people that just got off the same cruise ship.

I had only given myself two hours total before my flight was scheduled to leave, and security looked as if it would take a minimum of an hour so I decided to carry on my bag. I think I'll just avoid Orlando from here on out. There are other airports in Florida.

Take two of these and please don't call me in the morning.

Four hotels in four nights is a little much. But the good thing is that there were no really bad ones on this trip. It's nice that I didn't have to end the trip with a bad hotel, and in fact the final night's stay was quite relaxing.

The Crowne Plaza Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida was another pleasant Crowne. I like a consistent brand like this. Every now and then I come across a lemon, but most of the time they really are nice.

While having dinner at the hotel bar, I learned that the hotel is usually full on weekends because the cruise lines contract with the hotel for pre-cruise packages. It's also very close to Disney World but I didn't see anyone that looked like the Magic Kingdom was their destination. There was a group of men talking about golf and drinking vodka and cranberry juice at the other end of the bar. Does that count, or is it a typical drink for golfers?

I wouldn't have minded taking a side trip to Disney World, but the accounting department might have been a little suspicious if I turned in a receipt from Donald Duck's Dairy Delights or Minnie's Marvelous Mousses.

Probably the most interesting thing about this hotel was the fact that the walls seemed thinner than most. Until I turned on the room fan I could hear the guy in the next room hacking and coughing. No quiet little cough there, oh no. This was loud and the kind of noise that makes you want to put on a face mask. I also think the bed in the other room must have been on the same wall as mine, because when the guy coughed sometimes he would hit the wall. I tried not to think about it too much since I didn't get a flu shot this year.

I wasn't upgraded to the concierge floor because I was told that the top floor was fully booked. I was given access to the Club Lounge though, and on my way passed the sign designating the floor as a "quiet zone." I wonder what they would have done if the man in the next room had have booked one of those rooms? Sent him complimentary throat lozenges?

I mostly hoped he wasn't going to be on the plane with me the next day.

Don't forget to close the shades!

I lost my rental car in the parking garage at the InterContinental Hotel in Tampa, Florida. Thank goodness for the remote horn feature. I walked through several floors pushing the button until I got a response. I don't think anyone noticed unless they too, were wandering the parking garage.

There were a lot of cars in this garage since it was shared with the conjoined office building. I suppose it was a practical decision to combine parking, and the hotel bar was filled with people from the offices next door during happy hour. It's not a bad marketing idea.

When I stay in hotels I often open the shades in the morning so I can see better to put on my makeup. But not in this room. The view from the window was directly into the office building next door! I could almost read the names on the Rolodex. I bet those office employees could tell some tales.

I enjoyed the hotel and can't complain at all, except for the fact that I lost my rental car. But I can't blame that on the hotel. In fact, I think next time I'll log a way point on my GPS.

The coffee that made my stay

I checked in the Staybridge Suites in Naples, Florida after a very long day, changed clothes and headed out for a long evening of work.

When I went back to the hotel late that night, the nice young man at the front desk took one look at me and said he had just made a fresh pot of coffee.

Yup. That was a good stay.

Don't touch that channel!

A hotel in the middle of a shopping center. What'll they think of next? The Crowne Plaza in Fort Meyers, Florida is average as far as hotels go. Nothing really outstanding, but no real complaints, either. I was given a room on the key-access fifth "Priority" floor, and found myself completely underwhelmed. The room was quite small and had a slight musty smell. Some really funky smell came up through the sink drain in the bathroom, but since I was only staying one night I could deal with it. The internet was wireless. Wireless. Yay! (Yes - this is a running theme.)

When I travel I often eat dinner sitting at the hotel bar. This time when I went to find a place to sit at the at the bar, it was full. Many of the seats were taken by children. Fascinating.

The lounge reminded me a bit of Las Vegas, a cacophony of light and sound. (I find myself thinking about Las Vegas a lot these days, probably because I have a holiday scheduled there soon.)

There were at least 28 flat-screen TVs encircling the room, all playing a different channel, mostly sports. I counted them, but I suspect I missed a few, too. The voice-over playing on the speakers was coming from a source I didn't see, and trying to find the screen that matched the sound provided me with the evening's entertainment. I never did figure it out, and it made my dinner interesting. I wondered if anyone actually watched any of them.

I'm glad I didn't sit at the bar, because it wouldn't have had been nearly as much fun. And I think the drink special must have been Shirley Temples.

Don't mess with Texas

Texas loves slogans. Texas Proud, Texas: It's Like a Whole Other Country, and Texas: State of the Arts among others. But my favorite is Drive Friendly the Texas Way. It received my vote for the most amusing, because if you've ever driven anywhere in Texas you're probably laughing with me at that one right now.

Then a while back, some Austin advertising guys decided that all Texans should forget about that friendly stuff and embrace their inner Bubba. They introduced us to Don't Mess with Texas. It was originally created as an anti-littering campaign slogan, but the attitude struck a harmonious chord with native Texans and was widely embraced. Now it is much better known than the actual state motto: Friendship. Friendship. Really? Bubba would not have approved of that one.

So, what does all this have to do with hotels? I wrote my first draft for this entry while sitting in an Austin hotel a couple of blocks away from the Texas State Capital. The Capital building is really pretty, especially at night. And it has a Don't Mess With Texas kind of feel to it. In fact, the whole city sort of feels that way.

When I found out I was going to a conference in Austin I had no problem staying in the host hotel, The AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center. If you've followed this blog you'll know that I've stayed at almost all of the Holiday Inn properties in Austin. I finally gave up on finding the perfect "Holiday Inn home-away-from-home hotel" in the city.

The AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas is on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin and made attending the mandatory conference a real pleasure. The room was spacious, the bed was just right, and they had fast wireless internet. It was wireless, and it was fast. I had to pinch myself a couple of times to see if I was dreaming, but I was awake. The hotel scored a perfect 10 on that account alone. If they take reservations for regular hotel stays I'll most likely make this hotel my next choice.

Maybe I need to come up with a slogan for my hotel experiences. How about Don't Mess With My Wireless, or Sleep Friendly, the... ? Okay. I'll stick to my current profession and leave slogan writing up to the advertising guys.

Slogans are important to Texas. Really good ones define us. They tell our story.

Austin's slogan is "Keep Austin Weird." I thought it was just a cute little catch phrase until I drove by a sign for a local restaurant. The sign read "Arab Cowboy: Cafe and Hookah Lounge. I think Austin got it right. The city wears the title well.

It makes a Texan proud.

The trip from the Twilight Zone.

From start to finish, this was a weird trip. I expected Rod Serling to pop up any minute reminding us not to adjust our sets.

I travel to the Dallas area often and I have yet to find the perfect "home" hotel for my visits. I keep hoping I will connect, but it hasn't been an easy search. This time I started this trip staying in the Crowne Plaza on Midway Road in Addison, Texas. I must say this was a lovely hotel in a nice location. The club lounge was very nice and offered excellent appetizers in the club lounge. But, the guest rooms didn't offer wireless internet.

[This is another rant, so if you don't want to hear me complain please fast forward.] Charging for internet access? No wireless? Good grief. What century are these hotels in???

Anyway, with no wireless internet and only a short access cord, I abandoned the idea of relaxing in my room while surfing the net and went to have a snack in the executive lounge. I mentioned the issue to the attendant in the lounge and she told me that wireless was available there in the executive club lounge. I must admit that I seriously thought about going back to the club lounge in my pj's. I could make myself comfortable, all propped up in front of the TV... But, after seriously thinking about it I decided that only when enough guests take their business elsewhere will they pay attention to what we want so I checked out after one night and went to another hotel.

OK. That might have been a mistake.

I looked up another IHG property on the internet and found the Holiday Inn-Dallas North Addison. I must admit that I was a bit concerned when I saw the sign outside the door that said "no public rest room inside." And there were no cars in the parking lot. But, I decided to go in but asked to see the room prior to checking in. It's a good thing I did, because the room I was given had a broken security latch on the door. The second room they gave me was disturbingly shabby. Needless to say, I left immediately.

By now I was very frustrated and did what every self-assured female business traveler would do... I called my husband. I had him look up other hotels in the area, and he gave me several options. I called a hotel I had stayed in previously, the Crowne Plaza Market Center in Dallas, Texas. After all, the manager had really encouraged me to give them another try. So, I decided what the heck... I would try them again. I was extremely disappointed in the front desk clerk who argued with me on the phone, and decided that a second chance was not going to happen.

Finally I decided to just drive to the closest hotel to see if I could check in. It happened to be Intercontinental Hotel, in Dallas, Texas. I'd stayed in the hotel before, and the only real complaint I had was the lack of wireless internet. By now I didn't care because I was tired and just wanted a place to relax.

The young man at the check-in desk upgraded me to the executive floor, and I took the elevator to the 15th floor and checked in to my room. This time when I checked in I asked if it was possible to get a longer access cord so I could use my laptop while sitting in the easy chair. He arranged for one to be delivered to my room. The hotel just got my vote for "wonderful" status.

So, I went to the room, unpacked my stuff and settled in for some down time playing on the internet. After I plugged into the modem I kept getting a message that my computer had "limited or no connectivity." I called the 24 hour internet help number and they told me to call hotel maintenance for a new phone cable. I did, they came and replaced it - and it didn't work. The maintenance guy called the internet guy and the two of them decided that the problem was in the wall. So, the maintenance guy called the front desk guy who decided to call the bell guy at 9:00 PM to move me to another room.

My silver stud earrings somehow didn't make the move. I never saw them again. sigh.

Anyway, the new room was fine, although a bit smaller. It had a connecting door to another room which normally isn't too big of a deal. But, when I signed on to the internet (which worked by the way) it signed me to room 1504 - which wouldn't have been so bad except that I was in 1509. Hopefully they were platinum members as well.

After a long trip of nothing going the way it should have gone, I ended my day in the hotel lobby bar where the guy at the end of the bar was carrying on a lively conversation with himself.

Somehow, I think I know what he was talking about. He must have ignored Rod Serling's warning and adjusted his set anyway.

Duh - that was a compliment.

The Crowne Plaza at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida was filled with kickboxers. Really. I even think there was a life-size cutout of Rambo at the athlete check in table.

I didn't check in there. I checked in at the front desk.

I was told that the hotel was full so I wasn't given a room on the executive floor because I wanted a king room and all they had were doubles. Hmm. You'd think they would have asked me anyway. But I did ask for access to the club lounge.

I got on the elevator with six of those toned and tanned bodies and jokingly commented about the pleasant situation I found myself in. They just blankly stared. Duh - that was a compliment. I thought that one or two of them must still have a few parts of their brain untouched after all of those barefooted blows to the head. Guess not.

There was no wireless access except on concierge level, which I wasn't on. The lower floors were wired access only. So I called the front desk and asked for a longer cord. The desk guy said "Well, okay, I'll see if we have one. But platinum members don't have to pay for internet anyway."

Huh? Maybe he was taking kickboxing lessons on the side.

Sign of the times

It's hard to criticize a hotel that gives you a warm welcome, complimentary drink, a Hershey Bar with Almonds, and an upgrade to a large two room suite.

The hotel even had signs in all the the hotel elevators stating that floors other than the lobby are designated quiet zones. It politely reminded guests that other guests may be on different sleeping schedules. How considerate. Usually the signs are in the corridors. It's nice to warn guests in advance so they can go back down to the lobby if they feel the need to make noise after they arrive. It might just save them a trip.

The Crowne Plaza West Palm Beach in West Palm Beach, Florida seemed to have it all.

But... (yes, there has to be a "but" here.) You know that old saying about too good to be true? Well, this wonderful hotel had everything but quiet. Apparently no one reminded the nearby airport that the hotel guests had varied sleeping schedules.

Now, I booked this hotel knowing it was an airport hotel. I stay in airport hotels a lot because, well, mostly because they're close to airports. It's convenient.

Typically I don't mind the noise because there is usually a fan in the room that blocks everything out, and I travel with ear plugs just in case. But there was no fan in the room. Without a fan in the room even the earplugs didn't block out all the sound. I listened to airplanes well into the night.

Lack of sleep is not a good thing. It might keep me from staying in this lovely hotel again. What a shame.

Sugar coating doesn't always make it better

I don't like delayed flights. Especially when it makes me late for a meeting.

After my (late) meeting I arrived (late) at the Holiday Inn Airport West Palm Beach in West Palm Beach, Florida. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a room upgrade, but I was guaranteed for late arrival and was glad to finally relax after such a long day.

Sometimes I think I just step into some sort of an alternate reality or something. Delayed flight, late meeting... and, the room.

When I opened the door to my room I was overwhelmed by a smoky smell. I knew I had reserved a non-smoking room, and this was pretty bad. Interesting to note here, the halls smelled fresh. Usually it's the other way around. That's when I realized I was not in Kansas any more.

I went to the restaurant and the sign said to wait to be seated, but there was no one there to seat me. There were only about seven other people in the the restaurant, and finally someone in the kitchen saw me standing there.

I was pleased when I saw a low-carb dish on the menu, and ordered the low-carb blackened salmon with steamed veggies. When it arrived it came with mashed potatoes with gravy, and glazed carrots. The carrots were good, but that's probably because they were cooked in sugar. Obviously they don't understand the concept. Now I know why I usually choose to order appetizers and eat in the bar.

I went back to my room hoping the smoke would have dissipated, but it was still there and quite unpleasant.

Every time the people in the next room flushed the toilet the walls rattled. Loudly. And they flushed a lot.

I woke up the next morning with a headache. But now that I think about it maybe it was a sugar hangover from the previous night's carrots.

As I checked out of the hotel the next morning I told the desk clerk about the smoke, and he called the manager. The very pleasant young man was the same person that had checked me in the night before, so he obviously spent a lot of time there. He told me he had heard that complaint before and the hotel attributed the smokey smell to a ventilation problem. He said he wished I would stay and offered me a spray bottle of room deodorizer.

No one ever offered me a bottle of room deodorizer before, and though I was flattered I still went to the Crowne Plaza down the street.

Two jewels for this Crowne

Is this a record? Two great stays in the same hotel? I really liked this hotel the first time I stayed there, and I was not disappointed the second time. The Crowne Plaza San Antonio Airport in San Antonio, Texas is a class act. The staff is wonderful and the rooms are great.

Now if you remember my previous post about this hotel you will know that the hotel was still undergoing some renovations the last time I was there, but I think all that must have finally been finished. The hall was clear and no parade waited for me on the concierge floor. I was a little sad at that because I was hoping for a balloon animal this time.

The concierge lounge had nice little evening snacks and a decent breakfast. Little things like this encourage me to be a repeat guest, and I wasn't disappointed this time either. They even had Froot Loops. Obviously they understand what is important.

I was a little surprised when I walked into my room. This room was huge. So large in fact, that it had two separate thermostats. It wasn't one of those controls that just saves a few steps like a "dual" light switch, but two separate units. I could've invited everyone in the hotel to a reception in my room. I didn't though, because I didn't think my company would've approved it as a business expense.

If I had one real criticism of this hotel it would have to be the noise outside the room. OK, I know it's an airport hotel, but it's not the airport that makes the noise. It's the highway outside. It's loud. Crowne Plazas traditionally provide guests with earplugs, though, so it kind of becomes a non-issue.

Oh, and the TV. Here was this great room - spacious and comfortable. But it had this little bitty TV at the far end of the room from the bed. I think it was 19" screen. It was so far away that I had to go to the sitting area to see the evening news. Not that the evening news was really important, but it's nice to be able to see it while propped up in bed. I'm surprised that the hotel went to all the trouble of creating this nice spacious suite without adding a bigger TV.

Maybe they were just hoping that the occupant would forget about the news and host a big party, or maybe learn to make balloon animals for the next parade.

Reflections on a Margarita #4

New Year's Eve morning in Houston was foggy. Before I left for work the weather babe on TV said that we had less than 1/2 mile visibility. It was worse in our area and was totally weird when I pulled out of the driveway. I know my neighborhood, and it was disconcerting not to be able to see the other side of the road. When I was a kid I used to have bad dreams where I would open my eyes but couldn't see where I was going because everything was a gray fog. Driving through the New Year's Eve morning fog gave me flashbacks.

I'll be 74 years old the next time there is a blue moon on New Year's Eve. I wanted to see this one, but the night was overcast and I missed it. Yes, of course I know it wasn't "blue." But this interesting event will not repeat itself until 2028. There is uniqueness in knowing that something is rare.